Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 298 - 297: Two Extreme Noodles (Part 3)

Chapter 298: Chapter 297: Two Extreme Noodles (Part 3)

Soul-Calming Noodles?

Qiushan Hong savored this name, recalling the sense of nothingness his soul experienced while drifting through a chaotic world when eating the noodles.

He turned back and devoured the entire bowl in one breath. That marvelous state where irritation dissolved, spirits soared, and only a peaceful breath remained in his chest plunged Qiushan Hong into deep thought.

It had been a while since a culinary creation had awakened his food fantasies.

After all, as culinary skills improved, a chef’s tasting abilities correspondingly surged, not to mention Lin Chef’s not insignificant resistance to so-called "drugging" in food. Truly impressive dishes were just too rare.

"Soul-Calming?"

Qiushan Hong had his own firsthand experience, but those who hadn’t tasted the dish were obviously very curious about the name.

"Why is it called Soul-Calming?"

Kobayakawa Ryodan asked curiously.

"Because," Xia Yu said offhand, "it’s a legendary noodle dish that, they say, could calm down an enraged emperor in an instant..." "Just like Lord Qiushan said, essentially, it’s a bowl of vegetarian noodles where the vegetable flavor plays a major role, and it’s key to achieving its ultimate taste."

"Don’t just look at the chicken bones and pork bones I used for the broth; the real secret lies in the spice bag and vegetable bag I added during the second boil—"

Xia Yu pointed to the half bowl of golden broth on the kitchen counter and said with a smile.

"Yes!"

"Spices are crucial!"

Qiushan Hong picked up the conversation: "The spice structure you’ve infused in the broth center, centered around ’mint.’ If my taste buds aren’t deceiving me, around this core, you’ve added oregano, coriander seeds, and Mojiao Lan, emphasizing a ’clean,’ ’refreshing’ broth theme!"

Mint hardly needs introduction, one of the three widely used spices worldwide.

Of course, the mint Xia Yu used wasn’t freshly picked from the branch but was dried and ground into mint powder.

A little bit of mint powder could make the broth fragrant and refreshing.

But, for this reason, mint requires other spices to "limit" it.

"Coriander seeds? Cilantro seeds?"

Tiqie Helinai expressed surprise in her eyes.

Cilantro seeds, another fragrant spice, exude a lemon-like flavor.

"Mojiao Lan!" Ichise Hui continued, "It’s a spice often used in Western cuisine; I never imagined it would be used in a noodle dish so full of Chinese flair! Incredible! A spice structure that transcends national borders!"

Xia Yu nodded and said with a smile, "Mojiao Lan, actually similar in flavor to oregano, but crucially, when dried, Mojiao Lan’s aroma isn’t too strong and it naturally carries a hint of bitterness, which greatly soothes the ’refreshing’ sensation created by mint, cilantro seeds, and oregano, making the flavor more mellow and subdued."

Actually, this spice structure was a small refinement by Xia Yu.

The original "Soul-Calming Noodles" had a different spice structure. After analyzing it with the "Spice Inequality," Xia Yu thought it had quite a few flaws, thus naturally optimized it.

After all, the recipe creators, even the noodle makers, have their knowledge blind spots and mainly rely on personal experience to mix spices, unlike Xia Yu who had the secret techniques of the former Spice Empress and could pick the right pieces from a vast, complicated spice library to build an impressive empire of spices in his dishes.

The proof was evident, Xia Yu did it excellently.

The ’Soul-Calming Noodles’ that Qiushan Hong had just eaten achieved a completion rate of 95%; the missing 5% lay in the choice of vegetables, chicken bones, and pork bones, not in the spice bag. He had perfected the spice pairing as much as possible.

Everyone quietly digested the information about the Soul-Calming Noodles.

"Gurgle~"

Suddenly, the sound of a rumbling stomach broke the silence.

Kobayakawa Ryodan clasped her hands over her stomach with vexation, her voice tinged with coquettishness as she deliberately acted cute: "Instructor Xia, I’ve been busy since early evening and it’s almost midnight now. Could you make us a few bowls of noodles as a treat later?"

She looked at Xia Yu with hopeful eyes, her pitiful demeanor showing none of the restraint of a third-year senior sister.

Considering that, Kobayakawa Ryodan was a third-year, at least eighteen, already an adult.

"We’ll talk about this later!"

Xia Yu waved his hand and pointed to the kitchen’s electric breaker, instructing, "Eriina, go and turn off the breaker!"

"Ah?"

Tiqie Eriina, the one called upon, was bewildered.

"Just do it." Xia Yu passed a smiling look, "I’ll give you a big surprise later!"

So, Eriina, with a puzzled expression, snapped and went to pull down the kitchen breaker.

In an instant, the kitchen was plunged into darkness.

In the darkness, a group of people looked at each other, unable to understand what Xia Yu was up to.

Tap, tap, tap.

Accompanied by footsteps, Xia Yu returned and then the sound of a wooden tray hitting the kitchen counter followed, although faint, it was distinctly heard by the keen senses of Mars, Dojima Yin, and others.

Before they could start guessing, clang, the lid was lifted by Xia Yu!

"Wow—"

Suddenly, the sound of waves filled the entire kitchen.

Rolling fragrances burst out, carrying not only hints of freshness but also a rich sea aroma.

Even though their vision was obscured by darkness, it didn’t prevent Ichise Hui, Eriina, and Kobayakawa Ryodan from glimpsing the culinary world Xia Yu had created.

An involuntary exclamation erupted!

Scallops and dried silverfish came back to life.

Shrimps and clams appeared in the air.

Bonito flakes transformed into newborn deep-sea tuna, and the kitchen became their ocean.

A series of bubble noises.

Eriina and Kobayakawa Ryodan’s long hair floated, one blond and one red, swimming through the deep sea.

"Ugh!"

Inhaling a breath of fragrance, Eriina’s pale cheeks immediately flushed pink; at that moment, she felt as though she was naked, swimming in the early spring sea, the seawater covering her whole body, the icy sensation converging from numerous pores to her head, making her spirit tremble, her scalp numb, and her heart involuntarily screamed—fortunately, only she could hear her own voice, to avoid excessive embarrassment, but even so, Eriina felt her embarrassment nearly explode.

Kobayakawa Ryodan, on the other hand, was already starving, smelling the scent and immediately casting aside reserve, ceaselessly inhaling and exhaling as if to imprison the flavor within her body, eventually, like Eriina, showing a drunken expression with a flushed face dripping with water.

"What is this..."

"The universe!"

"So profound! Shining with light!"

Amidst the suppressed voices, Eriina and Kobayakawa Ryodan gradually came to their senses.

They looked over following the sound.

On the counter, sat a large, round porcelain bowl, its outline vaguely illuminated by shining light, and under this light, the black soup in the bowl appeared like a vast universe holding a galaxy!

"Ah—"

Eriina covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes glistening.

"On the table, a glittering galaxy has appeared!" Kobayakawa Ryodan said, utterly fascinated.

"Why is it glowing?!"

Others showed signs of amazement, unable to regain their senses for a long time.